Even now, after so many years since its appearance, iPod still manages to rule the MP3 Player world and this is even more remarkable if we think about the technologies’ short life cycles.

Despite fierce competition, users are still buying iPods like there is no tomorrow. And not only that, but it also acts as a locomotive for the entire Apple train and for other companies specialized in iPod accessories which have become millionaires overnight.

For several years now, MP3 player producing companies and others have been trying hard to find a replacement, a gizmo able to decrease iPod’s 75% market share.

Microsoft has recently announced one of the most powerful alliances aimed at ending the iPod domination. Ballmer and his company have been joined by some of the best electronics producers: Philips, Creative and Samsung (and certainly, if Xbox 360 hadn’t competed against Play Station 3 for next generation console supremacy, Microsoft would have called Sony to join this alliance, after all, with iTunes on the Japanese market, Sony’s position is seriously threatened) and their goal is to send iPod into oblivion.

How should the ideal competitor for iPod look like? There are hundreds of sites and forums on the Internet whose main topic is what should be changed or added to iPod.

A larger hard drive, a radio module, a longer-lasting battery, video capabilities, bigger displays, support for cellular telephony, more formats, all these features have been suggested for a better iPod, not to mention that there are already MP3 players superior to Apple’s player which include some of these functions, but none of them has even budged iPod’s leading position.

Microsoft and its allies will have until fall to discover the chosen one, the real iPod killer. Actually, this might be an interesting marketing idea for them, to dub their players iPod Killer Nr. 1 from Samsung, iPod Killer Nr. 3 from Creative and so on, until there will be one that deserves the name.

Full article here:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/What-Is-t...6359.shtml

interesting
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